The Pixelmon mod for Minecraft has been shut down following a request from The Pokemon Company.

Back in 2012, the Pixelmon mod for Minecraft was released. Late last week, the mod was removed from download sites. Although the mod remained popular, it was taken down after a request from The Pokemon Company.

The mod let you run around your Minecraft world capturing, training, and evolving Pokemon. You could even battle other trainers, breed creatures, and more.

MrMasochism, the creator of the mod, posted in the mod's forum about the shutdown, saying,

"With much sadness, but keeping all our fond memories, we must announce that Pixelmon is ending its development. We have had a great time making this mod and creating such a wonderful community but after a request from the Pokemon company we will be shutting our doors. I'm sorry for the disappointment this will cause but let's remember all the great times we had playing Pixelmon, discussing Pokemon, making awesome things inside this mod and everything else that we've done.

"All good things come to an end eventually and now is our time. However there are always more things to do, to be a part of and to enjoy. Keep going out there to find fun projects to be a part of and other great things to invest your time and enthusiasm into."

Although this will be disappointing for fans of the mod, it can't be all that surprising. After all, pretty much every Pokemon mod or fan project has gotten the boot at some point. The most surprising thing is that people continue to base their projects on the IP.

Did you not read the thing? It's not Nintendo that's doing this. It's The Pokemon Company. Those are 2 separate entities.

Nintendo is a parent company and notorious for this. Pokemon Company handles the brand and was created by Nintendo, Creatures and Game Freak. Without a doubt, Nintendo has the biggest word in any discussion there. If it was so seperate, why isn't there any Pokemon game released on any other platform than one of Nintendo? What brands are closely associated with Nintendo? Which brands of Nintendo, which they didn't create themselves, are so massive, that it needs its own company just to handle the brand and maybe split up the revenue "evenly" between three companies?

They got the letter from Pokemon Company only because Pokemon Company exists in order to handle this massive franchise for the three companies, Nintendo on the forefront. Otherwise, they would have gotten it from Nintendo.

Did you not read the thing? It's not Nintendo that's doing this. It's The Pokemon Company. Those are 2 separate entities.

Nintendo is a parent company and notorious for this. Pokemon Company handles the brand and was created by Nintendo, Creatures and Game Freak. Without a doubt, Nintendo has the biggest word in any discussion there. If it was so seperate, why isn't there any Pokemon game released on any other platform than one of Nintendo? What brands are closely associated with Nintendo? Which brands of Nintendo, which they didn't create themselves, are so massive, that it needs its own company just to handle the brand and maybe split up the revenue "evenly" between three companies?

They got the letter from Pokemon Company only because Pokemon Company exists in order to handle this massive franchise for the three companies, Nintendo on the forefront. Otherwise, they would have gotten it from Nintendo.

But of course, you're technically right.

There is always Pokemon Go. If I'm not mistaken Nintendo has nothing to do with that.

I'm starting to get worried about this recent trend in banning mods which have been around forever. It just does not seem right that someone can straight up shut down years of work in a single E-mail. There needs to protections set up for things like this.

Borty The Bort:I'm starting to get worried about this recent trend in banning mods which have been around forever. It just does not seem right that someone can straight up shut down years of work in a single E-mail. There needs to protections set up for things like this.

The legal relationship with mods and games is rather uneasy. Made especially grey by the fact that no modder or company wants to die on this hill.

Canadamus Prime:There is always Pokemon Go. If I'm not mistaken Nintendo has nothing to do with that.

Which ended up costing them a fair amount of market value when that truth was acknowledged. Nintendo stock spiked up when Pokemon Go came out, but after a couple weeks Nintendo came out and said it won't directly profit from the game; they have 32% of The Pokemon Company, which is the one that received the licensing fees and other monies from Niantic, with Nintendo eventually getting a little piece of the money after it's filter through TPC. Nintendo still made money, both directly and through a general rise in market value, just less than when people thought Pokemon Go was all Nintendo.

Ninty did end up making and selling a bracelet that lets you know when Pokemon are nearby, though, and maybe some other peripherals over the past year.

Canadamus Prime:There is always Pokemon Go. If I'm not mistaken Nintendo has nothing to do with that.

Which ended up costing them a fair amount of market value when that truth was acknowledged. Nintendo stock spiked up when Pokemon Go came out, but after a couple weeks Nintendo came out and said it won't directly profit from the game; they have 32% of The Pokemon Company, which is the one that received the licensing fees and other monies from Niantic, with Nintendo eventually getting a little piece of the money after it's filter through TPC. Nintendo still made money, both directly and through a general rise in market value, just less than when people thought Pokemon Go was all Nintendo.

Ninty did end up making and selling a bracelet that lets you know when Pokemon are nearby, though, and maybe some other peripherals over the past year.

Yes, I read about that. Kinda came as a surprise because up until then I pretty much thought Pokemon essentially belonged to Nintendo.

There is always Pokemon Go. If I'm not mistaken Nintendo has nothing to do with that.

So, because they licensed the brand out to someone, they have nothing to do with it? At all? And this explains everything?

Jesus, now it actually makes sense that they take everything down left and right.

Here's the thing though, Nintendo didn't license it. Nintendo isn't involved in Pokemon Go. I don't think Nintendo owns Pokemon. There was an article that said that Nintendo's stock prices tanked when it was revealed that they weren't involved in Pokemon Go.

Here's the thing though, Nintendo didn't license it. Nintendo isn't involved in Pokemon Go. I don't think Nintendo owns Pokemon. There was an article that said that Nintendo's stock prices tanked when it was revealed that they weren't involved in Pokemon Go.

Alright. Whatever. Just saying that this is highly unlikely. And yes, they weren't involved in Pokemon Go. Nintendo weren't involved in many releases of its franchises. And yes, Nintendo doesn't own Pokemon. Nintendo's sub-company Pokemon Company does. Uiuiui. I know that.

Maybe I'm too biased through knowing a thing or two about avoiding taxes (and NO, that's NOT what I'm saying), but... whatever.